Slicing machine



Aug. 9, 1927. 38,362

I. G. PERRETT ET AL SLICING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l I. G. PERRETT ET AL SLICING MACHINE Filed Dec.

5, l9 26 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVOR GWYiNNE PERRETT, OF OSTERLEY, AND FIENNES THOMASLAMBEBT, OF CLAP- HAM, LONDON, ENGLAND; SAID PERRETT ASSIGNOR TO SAID LAMBERT.

SLICING MACHINE.

I Application filed December a, 1926, Serlat No. 152,403, and in easements-member 5, 1925.

This invention relates to slicing machines for cutting bacon and other products.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for obviating waste in slicing 5 pieces of irregular shape, by cutting slices of tapering thickness but all of substantially compensate for any convergence of the twoends. Another objectis to providecorrecting means which are rendered inoperative 15' after the convergence of the two ends of the piece has been corrected. The invention has also for object to provide means for controlling the position of the piece in relation to the cutting 'plane so as to produce an angu- 2 lar correcting motion, said controlling means being applicable to slicing machines of existing types. In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a simple form of the correcting means applied to :1 bacon slicing machine. I

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the combination of another form of the correcting means with a holding plate of the kind employed 30' for slicing thin pieces.

Figure 4 is a detail of the correcting means shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 represents a modified form of correcting means applied. to aslicingmachine.

Figures 6 to 10 illustrate an alternative form of correcting means applied to a slicing machine of Well known type.

Referring to Figure 1, the machine comprises a fixed base 10, a reciprocating carriage 11, a feed table 12, and a. rotary cutting blade or knife 13. The carriage 11 is caused to reciprocate in a direction parallel to the plane of the knife 13 bysuitable mechanism. such as a crank 14 and connecting rod 15, driven by means of a handle 16. The feed table 12 is advanced in a transverse direction, that is towards the plane of the knife 13, at each reciprocation of the carriage 11, by meansof a feed screw 17 rotated intermittently in any convenient manner.

The knife 13 is also driven by the movement of the handle 16, through suitable gearing (not shown).

Upon the feed table 12, there is mounted a meat plate is secured the product to be sliced, for example a piece of bacon. indicated-at 19]; the opposite ends of the piece, marketing 20,"21,-". are shown as convergent, this being frequently the case in practice. \Vit h-' the customary methods of slicing pieces of irregular shape, the feed movement is always rectilinear and'the slices are of even thickness throughout their length; consequently unless the original piece has two parallel ends which can be set in the'direction of the cut produced by the knife, considerable wast-e occurs it being usual either to trim the projecting angle until a full slice can be out, ;or to'reject the remainder of the piece after the last full slice has been cut.

In order to eliminate such waste, we provide the slicing machine with means forlcontrolling the position of the piece of bacon or the like in relation to the knife 13, so as to produce an angular correcting motion, whereby any convergence of the twofends 20. 21 of the piece can be compensated by a lengthwise taper in the thickness of the slices until the ends are brought into parallelism or until the whole piece has been cut.

For thispurpose, the meat plate 18 is given an angular motion in the horizontal plane. relatively to the feed table 12, around a vertical axis formed by a pivotal connection 22 between the table 12 andthe plate 18.

This angular motion is controlled, in the arrangement represented'in Figure 1, by a guide meinber 23 carried by the reciprocating carriage 11; the guide member co-operates with a slot 24; in the underside of the meat plate 18. this slot extending lengthwise of the meat plate 18. When the meat plate is square with the feed table 12, the transverse feed merely causes the slot to slide past the guide member 23, without any rela tive movement between the table 12 and plate 18; when however the meat plate is set obliquely to the feed table, as shown, the resulting inclination of the slot 24 relative to the direction of the feed, produces an angular correcting motion of the meat plate 18 at each operation of the feed mechanism. until the plate has been brought square with the feed table.

To allow-of varyingjthe initial position of the parts and the rate of correction, according to the shape of the piece to be cut, the guide member 23 may be mounted in the reshape of the piece being cut, the guide mem" her will be shifted'along its slot 26 to the required position, where it can be locked by screwing it down the bolt 25, the correcting movement then taking place as explained above at each operation of the feed -mecha-- msm.

Between the carriage 1'1 and the meat plate 18, the'guide member 23 passes through an opening 27 in the feed table, this opening being of sutlicient size to permit both the transverse feed movement of the feed table relative to .the carriage, and the movement of the guide member along itsslot 26.

The pivotal connection between themeat plate 18 and the feed table 12, may be provided by utilizing one of the two pillars or standards serving to hold the clamping lever 28 by which the piece of bacon or the like is secured in place; forthis purpose, the pillar 2 is screwed into the feed table 12, passing through the meat plate 18 so as to form the I vertical pivot about which said plate may swing upon the feed table, while the other pillar 29 may be mounted directly in the moat plate 18.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate another arrangement in which the two pillars or standards 29 mounted upon the feed table 12, are fitted with a detachable cross head 30 having pivoted thereto at 31a backing plate 32 of the kind employed for cutting thin pieces of bacon or for cutting the last few slices or rashers of a piece, the meat being held by spikes 33 for example.

In thisconstruction, the pivoted. backing plate 32 is controlled by a link 34, pivotally attached to the plate 32 at one end, its other end assing through a guide 35 wherein it may e clamped while the correcting motion is in operation. As seen in Figure. 4, the guide 35 is mounted upon the reciprocating carriage 11 of the machine, being adapted to turn upon a vertical pin 36 in said carriage, and the link 34 passes through a hole 37, inside which is a frictional pad 38 pressed against the link 34 by a compression spring 39 adjustable by means of a set screw 40.

In operation, the clamping guide 35 is first freed by looseningits set screw 40'so as to allow the link 34 to slide longitudinally as required, the piece of meat to be cut is then attached to the backing plate 32, and the latter is turned upon its pivot-31 until the front end of the piece becomes parallel to the knife 13; the set screw 40 is then tightened so as tohold the link 34 in relation to the pivoted guide 35. At each reciprocation of the carriage 11, the feed mechanism will cause the table 12 to advancowith the cross head 30 across the carriage, but since one end of the plate 32 is held back by the link 34 being clamped at the guide 35, the plate is gradually turned around the pivot' 31 until it becomes parallel to the plane of the cutting knife; at this moment the sto 41 comes into engagement with the bac ing plate 32 and prevents further turning of the latter. Consequently as the machine con tinues in operation, the advanceof the feed table12, cross head 30 and backing plate 32 causes the link 34 to slip throughits ide 35, the frictional hold of the pad 38 eing i-nsutlicient to arrest the movement. The piece being out will therefore be fed forward in parallel relation from this moment until the slicing operation is completed.

The controlling means may be arranged to work in the opposite directlonifr required; for example, the link 34 and clamping guide 35 may be duplicated on the otherside of the pivot 3111s shown at 34 and 35 in dotted lines, and the stop 41 may be transferred to a corresponding position as shown in dotted lines at 41 ,-likewise on the other side of the pivot' 31.

Figure 5 illustrates a modified arrangement,'in which the" meat plate 18, pivoted at 22 upon the feed table 12, is controlled by a link 34 disposed between a pivot 42 on the rear end of the plate and a pivoted guide 35 upon the carriage, the guide operating substantially as already'described with reference to Figure 4. The arrangement is such that in the corrected position of the meat late, the three points 22', 42 and 35 will have en brought into a straight line, the link 34then sli ping through its clamping guide 35 as the eedmotion continues. meat plate 18 may beset initially on either side of its central position, the same can recting means will operate without alteration for producing'the required taper of the slices in either direction oftheir length according to the shape of-the piece being out.

Since the Referrin now to Figures 6 to 10, it will be i seen that t e angular correcting movement of the meat-plate in'relation to the feed table may be 7 the feed table'12 is controlled by a bar 43 rack bar 43 is fitted as shown in Figure 7 with lateral shrouding 'fianges 48 to engage] the sides of the pinion 46 and-compel the latrter to travel along .the shaft 47 asthe feed movements of the table 12 take place, the' rack-bar being itself maintained perpendicular to the shaft by any suitable means, for example the parallel linkwork 49, 50 and 51' indicated in Figure 6.

The shaft 47 is driven by the feed screw 17 so as to cause the rack-bar 43 to swing a the meat plate 18 through the required angle around its pivot 22 relative to the feed .table 12, during the feed movement of the table.

For this purpose, the shaft 47 and the feed screw 17 are shown connected together by.

gears 52, 53.

The pinion 46 is adapted to engage with either of the two racks 44, which are respectively above and below the pinion as seen in Figure 8; the meat plate can therefore be made to turn around its pivot 22 in either direction to suit the shape of the piece being cut. In order to arrest the correcting move ment when the meat plate or support 18 has I been brought square to the cutting plane of v the knife, a stop 70 is mounted on the feed table 12 near to one edge of the latter in a position to be engaged by the swinging meat A plate, the driving means being then disconnected by hand or otherwise. The stop 70 is removable, as by screwing, so that it can be detached and fitted at a similar position near the opposite edge of the feed table when the direction of correction is to be reversed, this alternative position for the stop being concealed by the lower right hand corner of the meat plate 18 in Fig. 6 of the ac companying drawings. The double rack bar 43 is pivotally connected to the meat plate at its end 54, and its opposite end is slidably engaged between suitable horizontal guides 57 carried by the feed table. To at low for the meshing of the pinion 46 with either rack 44 or 45, the shaft 47 is rotatably supported by two radius arms 58, 59 swinging about the axis of the feed screw 17 these radius arms are controlled (see Figures 9 and 10) by spring plungers 60 engaging with alternative holes 61, 62 in the radius arms. An arcuate slot 63 connects each pair of holes, so that when the-plungers are moved axially against their springs 64. the radius armscan be rocked to reverse the engagement of the pinion 46, the reduced portions 65 of the plungers (see Figure 10) permitting the slots 63 to travel freely past them.

The correcting mechanism may be put out of action in any convenient manner as soon as the piece has been cut-to parallel shape.

automatically as soon as the meat For example, as shown in Figure 7, the gear 52 may be driven b the feed screw 17 by means of a friction c. utch comprising a plate 67 slidable upon a squared portion 68 of the shaft, and pressed againstthe face of the gear 52 by means of a coiled. spring 69, the friction clutch normally driving the gear in unison with the feed screw but slipping plate 18 has been brought to the parallel position, at which it is arrested by the stop 70 upon the feed table. i

What we claim is 1. In a slicing machine having a knife, a support for the product to be cut by said knife, and feed mechanism for advancing said support in relation to said knife, automatic means for varying periodically the angular position of the product in relation to said knife. v

2. In a slicing machine, comprising a knife, a support for the product to be cut by said knife, and feed mechanism for advancing said support transversely of the cutting plane of said knife, the combination with said feed mechanism of means for producing an angular movement of product around an axis substantially parallel to said cutting plane.

3. In a slicing machine, comprising a knife. a support for the product to be cut by said knife, and feed mechanism producing the advance of said support relatively to the cutting plane of said knife. means for varying the position of the product in relation to said cutting plane by a periodical angular A correction of the advance produced by said feed mechanism.

4. In a slicing machine, having a knife, a support for the product to be cut by said knife. means for reciprocating said support parallel to the cutting plane of said knife, and feed mechanism producing at each reciprocation a transverse movement of said support relatively to said cutting plane, the combination with said feed mechanism of means for correcting the position of the product by an angularmovement around an axis substantially parallel to said cutting .plane, said angular movement taking place intermittently during the transverse movement produced by said feed mechanism.

5. In a slicing machine. COm])I1SlnSI .9.

knife, 9. support for the product to be cut by said knife, and fged mechanism for the advance of said support in relation to the cutting plane of said knife, means for modifying the feed movement of the product so as to cut slices of tapering thickness.

6. In a slicing machine. comprising a knife, a support for the product to be cut by said knife, and feed mechanism for the advance of said support in relation to the cutting piane of said knife, means for controlling the position of the product relative to said cuttinw plane, said controlling means providing for the initiahsetting of said support with the forward end of-the product substantially parallel to the cutting plane and producing automatically an angular correcting motion to compensate for convergence of the two ends of said product.

7. In a slicing machine, comprising a knife, a support for the product to be cut by said knife, and feed mechanism for the advance of said support in relation to the cutting plane of said knife, correcting means for producing an angular movement of said support around an axis substantially parallel to the cutting plane, said angular lIlOVCIllQIlt compensating for convergence of the two ends of said product, and means for rendering said correcting means inoperative after the convergence of said ends has been compensated.

8. In a slicing machine, having-a knife, a support for the product to be cut by said knife, and feed mechanism for advancing said support in relation to the cutting plane of said-knife, automatic means for varying periodically the angular position of said product in relation to said cutting plane, said automatic means adapted to operate in either direction.

9. In a slicing machine, means for producing a len thwise taper in the thickness -of the slices, comprising, in combination with the feed mechanism, a support for the product to be cut, a pivotal axis for said support, said axis being traversed by the operation of said feed mechanism, and a correcting device adapted periodically to turn said support through a small angle ahout'said axis, said correcting device being adapted to operate in either direction.

10. In a slicing machine, means for producing a lengthwise taper in the thickness of the slices, comprising, in combination with the feed mechanism, a support for the prodnot to be cut, a pivotal axis for said sup-.

port, said axisbeing traversed by the operation of said feed mechanism, and a correcting device adapted periodically to turn said support through a small angle about said axis, and means for rendering said correcting device inoperative when said support has been brought square to-sa-id cuttin plane.

11, In a slicing machine, means for producing a lengthwise taper in the thickness of the slices, comprising, in combination with the feed mechanism, a correcting device for periodically turning the support of the-product to be cut througlr'a small angle about an axis substantially parallel to the cutting plane, said axis consisting of a vertical pivot connection between said support and the driven member of said feed mechanism.

12. In a slicing machine, having a knife, 7

- a support for the product to be opt by said knife, means for reciprocating saidlsupport parallel' to the cutting plane of said knife, and feed mechanism producing at'each reciprocation a transverse movement of said support relatively to said cutting plane, the combination with said feed mechanism of means for correcting the -position of the product by an angular movement around an axis substantially parallel to said cutting plane, said axis consisting of a vertical pivot connection between said support and the driven member of said feed mechanism, and said correcting means comprising a link between said support and a member unaffected 'by the operation of said feed mechanism.

In testimony whereof we hereunto alfix our signatures.

IVOR GWYNNE PERRETT. FIENN ES THOMAS LAMBERT. 

